


you wait for her

by clairedreems



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 09:09:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20561825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clairedreems/pseuds/clairedreems
Summary: it is time for you to leave.





	you wait for her

you wait for her. you stand at the shore as your men loaded your ship, and you stand, waiting.

she is angry at you, that much you know. she had made it clear the night before, pleading and angry and sad and -

you hurt, but it was not like you could say no to this.

you feel the thrum of sailing in your bones, feel the hum of war in your blood. you think of the treaty that you yourself have caused.

she appears with your son in her arms. she does not speak, does not say a word. just stares at you. everything she needed to say had been said last night. spiteful words, hurtful words, devastating ones. but before and after and in between them; there were words of love, there were words of pleas.

the child cries but all she does is stare at you. she almost looks like a ghost,  _ already  _ like a ghost.

you push such thoughts in the back of your head. not the time. not the time to think of such.

_ pray for me _ , you tell her. you wince. your voice is already that of a king's - a commander. not her husband's. but there is no turning back now, you have already said it. perhaps one day, this pride will be your downfall.  _ pray to the gods. to athena, to- _

_ you do not get to command me, not on this, _ she tells you, as she rocks the crying child in her arms.  _ i pray to whom i choose. i keep faith to whom i want. _

you do not argue. she sounds tired, and you are too. you already have fought enough last night. no use to fight again today.

she looks at you again and her eyes holds so much weight, a part of you think if she tells you, if she tells you right here and right now to stay, you  _ will _ .

seemingly reading your mind, she shakes her head.  _ once, you have given me a choice. _ there is a pause, and a sigh. the boy had stopped crying, and you watch as his small hands has found its way to his mother's hair, pulling at it lightly.

she looks at you.  _ and i think now is the time that i give you yours. _

and you understand.

she knows what you have chosen when you turn away from her, and though she hurts, she does not say a word. because she knows what you think. knows you did not tell her goodbye because you think of goodbyes as something final, as something you could never turn back from. she knows why you did not tell her you love her, because that would be too cruel - especially  _ now _ , especially now that you’re leaving her.

you board your ship in silence, and she watches,  _ watches _ , and you wonder if it’s her grief-stricken eyes that will haunt you soon enough.

as the ship sets sail and begins moving away, you watch her back. you watch her until she’s a mere speck in the shore, you watch her - watch  _ them _ \- until you can’t see them anymore.


End file.
